Energizing a Website, Elevating a Community

In the midst of transitioning from a neglected warehouse district to a thriving riverfront community, the Capitol Riverfront needed a website to serve today’s visitors while painting a vision for what is yet to come. This is where we came in. Through a vibrant design and visual approach to content strategy, we created a website that captures the neighborhood’s evolving energy.

Let the Neighborhood Tell Its Story

The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood never stands still, and neither should its website. To instantly provide site visitors with the vibrancy of a bustling riverfront neighborhood, we designed the homepage around a centerpiece time-lapse video that constantly plays on loop. From there, we arranged the page to showcasethe breadth of attractions and happenings in a visually engaging manner.

Distinct Content for Different Audiences

Our initial research revealed three distinct website audiences, each seeking very different content. With the goal of quickly guiding users to their appropriate section, we designed an audience-centric navigation. “Plan Your Visit” answers tactical questions about directions or park rules. “Live Here” supports apartment shoppers’ needs for building and lifestyle information. “Do Business Here” provides developers with facts and figures to guide their investment decisions.

Exploration Through Maps and Tags

To facilitate neighborhood exploration, both physical and digital, we applied geographic and taxonomy tags to all of the site’s content. Users can effortlessly navigate and filter content to discover the wealth of parks, retail, and restaurants in the area.

From Capture to Content

Through a custom Instagram integration, we designed the site with user-submitted content in mind. Given all of the events that take place in The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, this allows designated staff to capture a moment on Instagram and seamlessly publish it on the site. Speaking of events, we designed the calendar and listing pages to be as inviting as the neighborhood itself.

Optimized for Fun, and for Search Engines

A beautiful site is only valuable if people can find it. This is why search engine optimization was at the core of our content structure. For example, we used natural keyword phrases like, “Things to Do” in the main navigation. We also created a content type called “Itineraries” that lets content creators target popular keyword phrases, such as “bars near Nationals Park.” Taxonomy terms throughout the site link to landing pages optimized for those terms.